From the editor: NBA coaches, Greg Popovich, Stan Van Gundy and Steve Kerr, all denounced Donald Trump's racist rhetoric in interviews published Sunday. The irony is that religious folk, including several who've run for political office in Brownsville, Cameron County, support Trump. Obviously, these Latter Day Saints, West Brownsville Baptists and Catholics do not read or understand their Bible or Book of Mormon.
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| Detroit Pistons Coach Stan Van Gundy |
"I don’t think anybody can deny this guy is openly and brazenly racist and misogynistic and ethnic-centric," Van Gundy said. "We have just thrown a good part of our population under the bus, and I have problems with thinking that this is where we are as a country."
Van Gundy said the team was quiet on Wednesday and he believed it was because of a 32-point loss on Monday night. However, he added that center Aron Baynes told him it was because of the election results.
Van Gundy then delivered a ruthless rant, slamming Trump and people who voted for him (via Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press):
"What we have done to minorities … in this election is despicable. I’m having a hard time dealing with it. This isn’t your normal candidate. I don’t know even know if I have political differences with him. I don’t even know what are his politics. I don’t know, other than to build a wall and 'I hate people of color, and women are to be treated as sex objects and as servants to men.' I don’t know how you get past that. I don’t know how you walk into the booth and vote for that.
"I understand problems with the economy. I understand all the problems with Hillary Clinton, I do. But certain things in our country should disqualify you. And the fact that millions and millions of Americans don’t think that racism and sexism disqualifies you to be our leader, in our country ... . We presume to tell other countries about human-rights abuses and everything else. We better never do that again, when our leaders talk to China or anybody else about human-rights abuses."
Van Gundy added, "I have been ashamed of a lot of things that have happened in this country, but I can’t say I’ve ever been ashamed of our country until today."
Van Gundy then addressed the population that voted for him, challenging evangelical Christians on "what Bible [they] are reading."
"And then you read how he was embraced by conservative Christians. Evangelical Christians. I’m not a religious guy, but what the hell Bible are they reading? I’m dead serious. What Bible are you reading? And you’re supposed to be — it’s different. There are a lot of different groups we can be upset at. But you’re Christians. You’re supposed to be — at least you pride yourself on being the moral compass of our society. And you said, 'Yeah, the guy can talk about women like that. I’m fine with that. He can disparage every ethnic group, and I’m fine with that.'"
Trump won Michigan, but Van Gundy said he was proud of Oakland County, Michigan, where he lives, for voting for Clinton. He said, "I’m going to walk into this arena tonight and realize that — especially in this state — most of these people voted for the guy. Like, (expletive), I don’t have any respect for that. I don’t."
Van Gundy is not the first, and he certainly will not be the last, professional sports figure to come out against Trump. However, you may be hard pressed to find someone deliver a rant as emotionally charged and upfront as Van Gundy.
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